THE DATE PALM. 



Phoenix dactylifera Lin., PALMACEAE. 



Maltese=:/W//*rt, palma lat-tamar. Italian palma a dattero. 

 French palmier. 



The Date-palm is native of India, Persia and Arabia, 

 but its cultivation as a fruit tree has spread to all Nor- 

 thern Africa, where it is naturalized, and also 10 Spain. 

 It is frequent in Southern Europe as well as in Syria and 

 Asia Minor, where it is planted as an ornamental tree 

 on account of its majestic habit, rather than as a fruit tree. 

 Its cultivation as a fruit tree has been attempted with 

 encouraging results in the hot desert regions of North 

 America. It is grown in these Islands exclusively for' 

 ornament, although it occasionally matures its fruit, and 

 the old and tall palm trees grown in the outskirts of 

 villages, with their crowns of dull green leaves silhouetted 

 on the blue sky have a charm of their own and enhance 

 the oriental effect- of our terraced architecture. Very 

 goods dates are produced in the region of the Persian 

 Gulf and in India, as well as in Egypt and Libia, where 

 there are also excellent varieties of dates which do not 

 dry, and are consumed fresh from the tree ; but the real 

 home of the commercial date is in the oases of Algeria 

 and Tunis, particularly in the oases of Biskra and 

 Ourlana. The commercial palm-groves of Algeria and 

 Tunis consist largely of the well known variety called 

 Dceglat-noor, which is justly considered as the best com- 

 mercial date in existence. The two sorts called Mena- 

 heer and Salatny, also of Algeria and Tunis, are said 

 to be superior to the Deeglat-noor in size and flavour, 

 and no doubt will be largely cultivated in the future, 

 but they are yet too rare to be of any commercial 

 importance. 



